Mission Updates & News Articles

The failure of a Proton-M rocket earlier in May leading to the loss of the Ekspress AM-4R satellite has been traced back to the off-nominal operation of the rocket's third stage steering engine caused by the destruction of the bearing assembly in the turbopump of the engine, the investigation committee confirmed to Interfax. Making progress in the investigation into the mishap, the commission is expected to provide its report on the root cause and corrective measures in the coming weeks.

In a highly anticipated event held on Thursday, SpaceX presented its crewed Dragon spacecraft, dubbed Dragon V2. Unveiled by SpaceX Chief Designer and CEO Elon Musk and advertised as 'a 21st century spacecraft', Dragon V2 is capable of carrying a crew of seven into space and incorporates innovative technology to increase reliability and safety while implementing a very high degree of reusability.

A mysterious satellite was delivered to orbit in the recent launch of a Rockot/Briz-M launch vehicle that officially carried three Rodnik military communications satellites into orbit. Left in orbit alongside the three Rodnik satellites, a fourth object has been tracked by U.S. space radars, but the existence of this spacecraft has not been confirmed by Russian space officials and satellite manufacturers. >>>Launch Updates

SpaceX has completed qualification testing of its SuperDraco rocket engine for use on the crewed version of the Dragon spacecraft, the company announced this week. SuperDraco will be tasked with launch abort maneuvers and propulsive landings of the crewed Dragon spacecraft known as Dragon V2 to be unveiled at 7 p.m. Pacific Time on Thursday.

Restoring the International Space Station Crew to six for a busy summer of operations, Soyuz TMA-13M made an on time arrival on Thursday as the craft docked to ISS following a flawless launch and rendezvous. Soyuz TMA-13M carrying Maksim Suraev, Reid Wiseman and Alexander Gerst lifted off from Baikonur on Wednesday and docked to the Rassvet Module under six hours after launch.>>>Mission Updates

Photo: NASA

Photo: Orbital Sciences

Next Cygnus Mission to ISS delayed after AJ-26 Engine Failure

Orbital Sciences has pushed the launch of the Cygnus Orb-2 International Space Station resupply mission back due to the ongoing investigation into the failure of an AJ-26 engine that occurred last week at NASA's Stennis Space Center during an acceptance test. Two AJ-26 engines are used on Orbital's Antares launch vehicle tasked with boosting Cygnus into orbit.>>>Mission Updates

Soyuz Trio safely in Orbit for Express Rendezvous with Space Station

Arcing into the night skies above the Baikonur Cosmodrome, a Soyuz FG rocket made a thundering blastoff on Wednesday, carrying the Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft and an international trio headed to the Space Station for a six-month mission. Maksim Suraev, Reid Wiseman and Alexander Gerst are set for an overnight rendezvous and docking with the orbiting complex to top up the Station Crew at six for a busy summer.

The Soyuz lifted off from Site 1/5 at 19:57 UTC, 1:57 a.m. local time on Thursday in Baikonur - embarking on a nine-minute flight into orbit. Enjoying a flawless ride aboard the Soyuz, the three crew members arrived safely in orbit and are now set for a rendezvous on the expressway. >>>Mission Updates

Photo: NASA

Photo: NASA

Three International Crew Members declared ready for Launch on Wednesday

Three international crew members are on the eve of their Soyuz launch to the International Space Station for a six-month mission aboard the orbiting outpost. Soyuz TMA-13M Commander Maksim Suraev and Flight Engineers Alexander Gerst and Reid Wiseman have been declared ready for flight by the Russian State Commission. The crew and their Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft is set for liftoff atop the Soyuz FG launch vehicle on Wednesday at 19:57:41 UTC to begin a six-hour rendezvous with the Space Station.>>>Mission Updates

Sea Launch Returns to Flight with successful Zenit Launch

Sea Launch has successfully returned its Zenit-3SL launch vehicle to flight, blasting off from the Odyssey Platform in the Pacific Ocean on Monday to embark on a mission to deliver the Eutelsat 3B communications satellite to Geostationary Transfer Orbit.

Lifting off from Odyssey at 21:10 UTC, Zenit-3SL thundered into the sunny skies above the Pacific Ocean, starting an easterly trek to stick to the equator for a one-hour flight to GTO. Eutelsat 3B was sent on its way sixty minutes after launch, being delivered to its target orbit. >>>Launch Updates

Photo: Sea Launch

Photo: NASA

Soyuz FG rolled to Launch Pad for Liftoff with next ISS Crew on Wednesday

The Soyuz FG rocket carrying the Soyuz TMA-13M
spacecraft has been rolled to the launch pad at Site 1/5 at the Baikonur
Cosmodrome on Monday morning. Arriving at the pad and positioned
upright for launch, the Soyuz is now set for two days of launch
preparations ahead of liftoff on Wednesday at 19:57 UTC to begin a
six-hour flight to the International Space Station to bring Maksim Suraev, Alexander Gerst and Reid Wiseman to their home in space for the next six months.>>>Mission Updates

Zenit-3SL Rocket rolled out for Sea Launch Return to Flight Mission

A Zenit-3SL launch vehicle is standing tall atop
its launch pad on the Odyssey Platform in the middle of the Pacific
Ocean as preparations for liftoff continue as planned. Teams are working
toward a launch at 21:10 UTC on Monday to set the stage for a one hour
ascent mission of the Zenit-3SL to deliver the Eutelsat 3B
communications satellite to Geostationary Transfer Orbit.>>>Launch Updates

Photo: Sea Launch

Credit: NASA

Soyuz Rocket Assembled for Launch of three ISS Crew Members Wednesday

The Soyuz FG launch vehicle has been integrated with the Soyuz TMA-13M spacecraft as preparations continue at the Baikonur Cosmodrome for the launch of three international crew members on Wednesday to begin a six-month flight to the Space Station.Liftoff remains set for 19:57 UTC to set the stage for a six-hour rendezvous of Soyuz TMA-13M to bring Maksim Suraev,Alexander Gerst and Reid Wiseman to ISS.With Soyuz assembled and checked out,
the Russian State Commission met late on Sunday, local time, to
review the status of the launch vehicle. No issues were identified
and the approval to roll the Soyuz to Site 1/5 on Monday has been
given.>>>Mission Updates

Japan's H-IIA Rocket successfully Launches ALOS-2 Radar Satellite

A Japanese H-IIA rocket blasted off from the Tanegashima Space Center on Saturday at 3:05 UTC on a mission to deliver the ALOS-2 radar satellite to orbit. Riding into a polar orbit aboard the H-IIA Rocket, ALOS-2 was accompanied by four small satellites. The mission was executed to perfection and H-IIA reached its planned 628-Kilometer orbit 15 minutes after lifting off to release the ALOS-2 satellite and its companions.

Sea Launch has initiated the 72-hour countdown for the launch of a Zenit-3SL rocket from the Odyssey Platform in the Pacific Ocean that is set for Monday at 21:10 UTC. The Odyssey Platform and the Sea Launch Commander ship are currently stationed in the Pacific at 154 degrees West right on the equator. >>>Launch Updates

SpaceX has delivered cargo returned from the
International Space Station aboard the Dragon SpX-3 spacecraft to NASA
for post-flight analysis and inspection. Time-critical cargo was shipped
to NASA as soon as it arrived on shore after Dragon’s splashdown
landing in the Pacific last Sunday. Less critical items were removed
from Dragon later and were to be returned to NASA by Friday. SpaceX is
also looking into a water intrusion into Dragon that occurred after
landing while the spacecraft was floating in the Ocean.>>>Mission Updates

Photo: SpaceX

Photo: Aerojet Rocketdyne

AJ-26 Engine for future Antares Launch fails during Testing

An Aerojet Rocketdyne AJ-26 engine assigned to a future Antares launch to the International Space Station failed on Thursday during a test firing at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The failure is currently under investigation and potential impacts are being assessed.

Aerojet Rocketdyne confirmed that there were no injuries from Thursday’s mishap and that an investigation into the failure was being started. Unknown at this time is whether the engine failure will imapct the next launch of Antares that is currently planned for June 10.>>>Detailed Article

H-IIA approved to Launch ALOS-2 Satellite on Saturday

The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency and
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries are ready for the launch of an H-IIA rocket
from Tanegashima on Saturday at 3:05:14 UTC carrying the ALOS-2 radar
satellite and four secondary payloads to orbit. Approval to begin
countdown operations with the rollout of the launch vehicle was given on
Friday. >>>Launch Updates

A Russian Rocket/Briz-M launch vehicle blasted off from Site 133/3 at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome on Friday at 5:27 UTC carrying three Rodnik military communication satellites. Roscosmos confirmed that the launch was successful and orbital tracking of the three spacecraft shows that all three satellites were delivered to their operational orbits as part of the maintenance and modernization of the Strela constellation of low-orbiting communication satellites used by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

Lofting a classified payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office, a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket blasted off on Thursday from Florida’s Space Coast. Lifting off at 13:09 UTC, Atlas V embarked on a classified mission to boost the NROL-33 satellite to orbit. Neither the purpose of the NROL-33 payload, its target orbit or the mission profile of Thursday’s launch has been disclosed. >>>Launch Updates

Topped with a secret satellite hidden under its payload fairing, an Atlas V rocket was rolled to the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Tuesday in anticipation of liftoff on Thursday. The launch is planned between 13:05 and 14:15 UTC on Thursday to begin a long Flight of the Atlas V.

For NRO missions, the identity of the satellite is kept secret and the target orbit is classified as well. The launch webcast will end at the moment of payload fairing separation and confirmation of mission success will be provided after spacecraft separation.>>>Mission Updates

The Curiosity rover has finished its exploration campaign at the Kimberley waypoint and is now back on the road, continuing the journey to the Mount Sharp Entry Point to reach the lower slopes of Aeolis Mons, the mission's primary science goal. The 40-sol exploration campaign at the Kimberley included the mission's third drilling campaign to acquire a powdered sample from a slab of sandstone - the sample is currently aboard the rover for analysis by the laboratory instruments.>>>Mission Updates

Dragon makes safe Splashdown Landing after picture-perfect Mission

Making a safe splashdown landing in the Pacific Ocean, the SpaceX Dragon closed out a very successful 30-day cargo mission to the International Space Station. Loaded with 1,560 Kilograms of valuable scientific experiments and samples as well as other ISS equipment, Dragon was unberthed and released from ISS earlier on Sunday, setting sail for a short Free Flight ahead of its deorbit burn.

Re-entering the atmosphere and making a parachute assisted landing in the Pacific, Dragon was planned to be recovered and returned to land to allow the return cargo to be shipped to NASA.

The SpaceX Dragon departed the International Space Station on Sunday to embark on its return journey that will culminate in the deorbit burn, re-entry and splashdown landing of the spacecraft to bring a variety of equipment from ISS back to Earth. >>>Mission Updates

Dragon Spacecraft ready for ISS Departure & Return to Earth on Sunday

The Dragon SpX-3 spacecraft is being prepared to depart the International Space Station on Sunday for a short free flight ahead of a splashdown landing in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. Unberthing operations will get underway early on Sunday followed by the release of the vehicle at 13:26 UTC and landing at 19:02 UTC. >>>Mission Updates

Photo: NASA

Photo: United Launch Alliance

Mission Success for Delta IV delivering next GPS Satellite to Orbit

A United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket successfully delivered the GPS IIF-6 satellite to orbit on Saturday to take its place in the GPS constellation to ensure continued service at increased capabilities of the satellite constellation. Lifting off from Space Launch Complex 37B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 0:03 UTC on Saturday, Delta IV utilized a two-burn mission profile taking three hours and 15 minutes from launch to spacecraft separation. The flight was a complete success and GPS IIF-6 was inserted into the targeted orbit.>>>Launch Updates

Third Stage Propulsion System blamed for Proton Launch Failure

Russian Space Officials have provided initial details on Thursday's failure of a Proton-M launch vehicle that was carrying the Ekspress AM-4R Communications Satellite.

The focus of attention of the initial analysis of telemetry has been the propulsion system of the third stage of the rocket that is likely to blame for the loss of the vehicle late in its flight. Roscosmos has formed a failure investigation committee to conduct an in-depth investigation into the mishap to identify possible causes and corrective measures ahead of the return to flight of the launch vehicle.>>>Launch Updates

Photo: Tsenki

Photo: Roscosmos/Tsenki Launch Webcast

Proton-M Launch ends in Failure - Ekspress AM-4R Satellite Lost

The launch of a Proton-M/Briz-M ended in failure on Thursday late in the mission of Russia's heavy lift launch vehicle. Making the next in a series of government-contracted flights, Proton blasted off from Site 200/39 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 21:42 UTC carrying the Ekspress AM-4R spacecraft set for delivery to a Geostationary Transfer Orbit.

The launch of a United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station was scrubbed on Thursday due to unfavorable weather conditions that did not permit a liftoff during the 18-minute launch window opening at 8:08 p.m. local time. Meteorologists had been forecasting bad weather odds throughout the week leading up to Thursday’s attempt predicting thunderstorms and cumulus and anvil clouds in the area. In the end, violations of five weather rules caused the scrub late in the countdown.>>>Launch Updates

Photo: ATK

Photo: Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center

Next Space Station Crew arrives at Launch Site for final Preparations

The crew of International Space Station
Expedition 40/41 has arrived at the Baikonur Cosmodrome to begin final
preparations for launch aboard Soyuz TMA-13M on May 28. The crew flew to Baikonur from Moscow where they
completed final training and exams as well as the normal pre-launch
traditions. Liftoff of the Soyuz FG rocket carrying the Soyuz spacecraft
into orbit is set for 19:57 UTC on May 28.>>>Mission Updates

ISS Trio safely Returns to Earth aboard Soyuz after Six-Month Flight

Three
International Space Station crew members have safely returned to Earth aboard
Soyuz TMA-11M on Wednesday after a 188-day space flight.Mikhail Tyurin, Rick
Mastracchio and Koichi Wakata made a successful undocking from the Space
Station late on Tuesday, setting sail for one and a half orbits of free flight
ahead of the Deorbit Burn to set the stage for an on-time and on-target landing
in south-central Kazakhstan.

United Launch Alliance and the US Air Force have conducted the Launch Readiness Review for the launch of a Delta IV rocket carrying the GPS IIF-6 satellite. No issues were found and the approval to press into launch operations was given. The targeted launch window stretches from 0:08 to 0:26 UTC on Friday, 8:08-8:26 p.m. local time on Thursday at Cape Canaveral, however weather may be a problem for the first launch opportunity.

Sea Launch has resumed launch preparations for the upcoming Zenit-3SL launch from the Odyssey Platform in the Pacific Ocean to deliver Eutelsat 3B to Geostationary Transfer Orbit. The Odyssey platform departed its home port in Long Beach, California last weekend to begin a two-week transit to the equatorial launch site at 154° west. Liftoff is set for May 26, 2014 at 21:10 UTC.

China’s Yutu Moon rover has woken up again on the mission’s sixth lunar day. Reports of a carrier signal coming from the Yutu rover came from the UHF_Satcom group that has been tracking the progress of the mission since the beginning and has become the only source of information on the sate of the Chang’e 3/Yutu mission as China has gone silent over the past weeks.>>>Mission Updates

Three ISS Crew Members begin Return Journey aboard Soyuz TMA-11M

The Soyuz TMA-11M spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station after a stay of 188 days. Embarking on their journey back to Earth, ISS crew members Mikhail Tyurin,Rick Mastracchio and Koichi Wakata
undocked aboard their Soyuz spacecraft at 22:36 UTC on Tuesday and are
now set for a free flight of less than two orbits leading up to the
deorbit burn at 1:04 UTC. Landing in Kazakhstan is planned at 1:58 UTC
to conclude the crew’s long duration mission to ISS.>>>Mission Updates

Photo: NASA

Photo: Tsenki

Proton-M Rocket rolled to Baikonur Launch Pad for Liftoff on Thursday

A Russian Proton-M/Briz-M Rocket carrying the
Ekspress AM-4R satellite has been rolled to the launch pad at Site
200/39 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Liftoff is set for
21:42 UTC on Thursday and Proton/Briz-M will complete a long mission to
boost the satellite into a Geostationary Transfer Orbit.>>>Launch Updates

The International Space Station has lost one of its eight electrical power channels on Thursday after a power switching box tripped due to a short upstream in the 3A power channel of ISS.Working as intended, the Station’s power system immediately transferred loads to another channel causing only a minimal loss of power that had no consequences for the crew or any systems aboard the orbiting complex. >>>Detailed Article & Background

Photo: Oleg Artemyev

Image: Boeing

Delta IV set to Launch GPS Satellite this Week

A United Launch Alliance Delta IV Rocket flying in its Medium+ (4,2) configuration is set to launch the GPS IIF-6 satellite on May 16, 2014.>>>Launch Updates

Three ISS Crew Members set to Return to Earth aboard Soyuz TMA-11M

Three International Space Station residents are making final preparations for their return to Earth Tuesday night following a six-month stay aboard the Station. Soyuz TMA-11M is set to undock from ISS at 22:36 UTC on Tuesday to set up for a short free flight and the deorbit burn leading up to landing in Kazakhstan at 01:58 UTC to bring Mikhail Tyurin, Rick Mastracchio and Koichi Wakata back to Earth.>>>Mission Updates

Photo: NASA

Photo: SpaceX (SpX-3 Launch)

SpaceX scrubs Falcon 9 Static Fire Attempt - Orbcomm Launch Delayed

SpaceX had to scrub its Static
Fire Attempt of the Falcon 9 rocket carrying six Orbcomm Second Generation
satellites on Friday due to an unspecified technical issue. The test had been
pushed back on Thursday when teams dealt with a series of issues. On Friday, Falcon 9 was loaded with propellants, but the countdown was
aborted. Orbcomm announced that the launch would be delayed at least until after the weekend, but range unavailability will likely push the mission into late May.

A dead Soviet radio surveillance satellite that
operated in the 1980s re-entered Earth's atmosphere on Thursday.
Weighing 1,800-Kilograms, the Kosmos 1242 satellite was launched January
27, 1981 aboard a Vostok-2M launcher and operated for about one year
after launch before being decommissioned and beginning a slow drop
toward Earth's atmosphere caused by drag in the ultra-thin layers of
Earth's upper atmosphere.>>>Kosmos 1242 Re-Entry

Image: Yuzhnoye

Photo: NASA

Space Station experiences Power System Failure

On Thursday, ISS experienced a power channel failure in the 3A EPS channel that is connected to the S4 solar array. In response to the failure, power was transferred seamlessly to Channel 3B that is now carrying the loads normally connected to 3A and has not shown any problems. No power to any payloads was lost at any time and the crew’s operations were not affected. While teams on the ground investigate the issue, nominal operations will continue aboard ISS.>>>ISS Expedition 39 Updates

Time is Running Out for KickSat Mission as Re-Entry Approaches

The KickSat CubeSat mission is on the brink of
failure as the small spacecraft is approaching re-entry and has not
released its 104 Sprite sub-satellites which was the prime objective of
the mission. Originally, KickSat was planned to release the small
satellites 16 days after launch commanded by a timer that was re-set on
April 30 due to a cosmic ray hit. >>>KickStar Re-Entry Page

Image: KickSat Project

Photo: NASA

ISS Robots successfully complete External Dragon Cargo Operations

External cargo operations aboard the
International Space Station involving the Dragon SpX-3 spacecraft have
been successfully completed after the second of two external payloads
found its home on the exterior of ISS on Wednesday. Following last
week’s successful installation of the HDEV Payload, Canadarm2 and Dextre
returned to Dragon’s Trunk to extract the OPALS laser communications
payload for transfer to ISS.>>>Mission Updates

Kosmos 1242 Re-Entry

A dead Soviet radio surveillance satellite that
operated in the 1980s is headed for re-entry at some point over Earth
this week. Weighing 1,800-Kilograms, the Kosmos 1242 satellite was
launched January 27, 1981 aboard a Vostok-2M launcher. Kosmos 1242 is a
Tselina-D satellite that was used to track radio emissions around the
globe – tracking their location, type, mode of operation and activity to
provide intelligence and important information for tactical military
operations.

The Curiosity rover has successfully performed its third drilling operation on the surface of Mars. Using its hammering drill mounted on the rover’s robotic arm, Curiosity first performed a mini-drill last week before conducting a Full-Drill Operation on Sol 621. The drilled sample is now onboard the rover for processing and distribution to the two laboratory instruments of the vehicle for in-depth study.>>>Mission Updates

Swarm Satellite Trio starts Collection of High-Quality Science Data

ESA’s three Swarm satellites have begun collecting scientific data after completing spacecraft commissioning activities. Now measuring Earth’s magnetic field in unprecedented detail, the Swarm trio is set for four years of observations. The first data returned by the spacecraft are promising, already surpassing the data gathered over a period of years by previous missions.>>>Mission Updates

Image: ESA

*File Image* - Credit: Russian Ministry of Defence

Soyuz 2-1A successfully Launches Kobalt-M Reconnaissance Satellite

A Russian Soyuz 2-1A rocket lifted off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome’s Site 43/4 on Tuesday at 13:49 UTC carrying the ninth Kobalt-M optical reconnaissance spacecraft to orbit. According to ITAR-TASS, the launch was successful and Kobalt-M was delivered to its planned Low Earth Orbit from where it will operate for up to five months. >>>Launch Updates

EgyptSat-2 Satellite collects first Images of Earth

RSC Energia has released the first-light photos of the EgyptSat-2 optical imaging satellite that was launched in April. EgyptSat-2 is currently being commissioned by its manufacturer for operation by Egypt to acquire images of the Egyptian territory and surrounding regions for digital mapping, assessments of mineral, water and other resources, environmental monitoring, vegetation monitoring, studies of the headwaters of the Nile, and disaster management.>>>Mission Updates

Photo: RSC Energia

*File Image* - Credit: Russian Ministry of Defence

Soyuz 2-1A set to Launch Russian Reconnaissance Satellite

A Russian Soyuz 2-1A launch vehicle is standing
at the launch pad at Site 43/4 of the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, being readied
for liftoff on Tuesday carrying a Kobalt-M reconnaissance satellite to
Low Earth Orbit. Kobalt-M is a
photo-reconnaissance satellite using an optical imaging payload and film
return capsules to bring acquired imagery back to Earth. Liftoff on
Tuesday is expected at around 13:45 UTC and Kobalt-M will be released
into its orbit less than 10 minutes after launch.

SpaceX has conducted the second flight test with its F9R-Dev1 test rig currently undergoing low-altitude testing at the company's McGregor Test Site, Texas. Flying to new heights, Thursday's test took the F9R test rig to an altitude of 1000 meters, quadrupling the height of its first test that was performed two weeks earlier.